A narrated jazz suite reimagining George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess, with vocals by Imogen Ryall and the Chris Coull Quintet.
The Chris Coull Quintet bring their reimagining of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess to The Fishermen's Club on Wednesday 25 November. It's presented by Splash Point Jazz, and the whole thing runs for about an hour.
Rather than playing the opera as written, the quintet works it into a jazz suite. They draw on the original 1935 score, the landmark recording by Miles Davis and Gil Evans, and the Blue Note tradition. The show is narrated and sung by vocalist Imogen Ryall, with the original songs reworked into a swinging, soulful 21st-century jazz style that pairs the well-known favourites with some of the rediscovered gems. Hard bop grooves and Latin rhythms sit alongside the more sumptuous ballads, so it's a fair bit more varied than a straight run through the hits.
On stage, the quintet is Chris Coull on trumpet, Imogen Ryall on vocals, John Turville on keys, Simon Thorpe on bass, and Matt Fishwick on drums. It's an all-ages show, so you can bring the whole family along. The critics have been on board too: Jazzwise called it among the best Miles tributes of the year, and Jazz Views described it as a match made in heaven.
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The Fishermen's Club is on Royal Parade in Eastbourne (BN22 7AA). Doors open at 7:15pm, and the music starts at 8:00pm. Tickets are £16.50, which includes the booking fee.
